Chapter 1
A bright summer morning shone down upon her face as she shielded her eyes from the light. She smiled a bit, and, seeing her father, ran to him and clung to his shin.
"Daddy, carry me!" she demanded, jumping at him with her arms outstretched.
He obliged and hoisted her on his shoulders, laughing along with her.
"What should we do today, little one?" asked her father.
Presea glanced at the lake downhill from her house, and then shot her arms up.
"Let's go swimming, daddy!" said she.
The young girl dashed to the shore of the lake as her father dawdled behind her. She knelt down to look at her own reflection, and then looked back at him. Sieg was already short-winded by the time he reached the shore, but jumped in for the sake of entertaining his daughter. Presea leaped in after him and her father caught her, swinging her around his head, then tossed her up and let her splash into the water. She surfaced and giggled latching to him.
Sieg sighed happily and set her on the shore, climbing out himself.
"You may swim by yourself, little one, I am going to finish chopping firewood for the coming season," said Sieg.
The girl grinned and went back into the shallows, "Okay daddy, you enjoy yourself." she responded. "I will be in soon to check on you and mommy."
She resumed her activity and Sieg walked off opposite the front door of his house and retrieved his axe, Francesca.
Again I begin my labor for my family, he thought. How long must we live off this land? When is the time to show my daughter the vast world she has never had the opportunity to see?
A sunbeam shone in his eyes and he held his hand up to gaze above at the treetops.
My daughter deserves more than this world. Presea deserves to see the world as it is becoming. She must not carry my footsteps...
He spoke, "Presea must not be forced to live in this world of seclusion, only seen by myself and the villagers."
Sieg swung his axe with such force that it stuck in the trunk. Then he strode back to the door and saw his daughter, waiting for him. He placed his arm around her shoulder and walked inside with her at his side.